RALEIGH – A new report from the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) reports that information technology job openings across the state grew 3.4 percent year-over-year in December to 17,371.

In the first of a new monthly reported titled Tech Talent Trends Alert, NCTA reports that openings peaked at 20,321 in March. Jobs hit a low of 15,987 in August. The report breaks down openings by metro area, job type, skillset and employers who are the biggest hirers.

“Looking back on 2017, recruiting for IT talent in North Carolina was competitive, with over 89,000 open IT positions throughout the state over the course of the year,” the report says.

“Positions where the search for talent was particularly fierce included roles such as Software Developers, Computer Systems Analysts, and Computer User Support Specialists, with over 11,000 openings for each role.

“These positions were frequently sourced in the professional, financial, and information security industries. Highly valued IT skills include Java/JavaScript, SQL, and Linux.”

The report is produced by NCTA and utilizes research firm Gartner’s CEB TalentNeuron, which provides real-time business intelligence. Greene Resources sponsors the report.

Job openings by skillset and compared to December 2016:

  • Software Developers, 2,840, +16.1%
  • Computer Systems Analysts, 2,167, -0.6%
  • Computer User Support Specialists, 2,073, -1.8%
  • Network + Computer Systems Administrators, 1,775, -14.2%
  • Information Technology Project Managers, 1,630, +2.8%
  • Web Developers, 1,322, +3.3%
  • Computer Systems Engineers/Architects, 1,136, +7.4%
  • Information Security Analysts, 1,001, +14.4%
  • Computer + Information Systems Managers, 999, +8.4%
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineers + Testers, 766, +11.5%
  • TOTALS Including All Others, 17,371, +3.4%

Skillsets most needed and compared to December 2016:

  • Java, 3,208, +19.8%
  • Structured Query Language, 2,765, +4.1%
  • Linux, 2,491, +12.9%
  • JavaScript, 2,201, +11.4%
  • Systems Development Life Cycle, 1,951, +10.7%
  • Quality Assurance, 1,748, -11.9%
  • Python, 1,688, +29.8%
  • UNIX, 1,634, +2.7%
  • Technical Support, 1,625, -9.5%
  • Hypertext Markup Language, 1,597, +17.8%

Biggest hirers:

  • Bank of America
  • Oracle
  • Accenture
  • Computer Consultants International, Inc.
  • IBM
  • Wells Fargo
  • Deloitte
  • General Dynamics
  • Zachary Piper LLC
  • BB&T